The Craziest Thing I Did During My Twin Pregnancy [Guest Post]

You know what’s one of the best parts of being a blogger? All the amazing people you meet and get to know. One of those fabulous people, the funny, fast, fearless Allie from VITA – Train for Life, is here to help me out during my maternity leave with a guest post that made me shake my head in disbelief. Remember when I shared my postpartum fitness goals? Well, Allie’s postpartum plan (after having twins!) was just a tad more ambitious, let’s just say! If you are one of the few who don’t know Allie through her blog, then I’m glad you’ve found her now – she is an inspiration to me and I’m honored to call her a friend.

(If you want to read more about Allie, check out her feature on Fit Mama Friday)

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I know many of you are not familiar with my crazy, since I’m a guest here at Carly’s place today, but I assure you I’m not completely sane and I have this story to prove it.

The Craziest Thing I Did During My Twin Pregnancy

I used to be a somewhat normal person with goals inline with my physical capabilities and professional responsibilities. However, all of that intelligence started a slow trickle out of my brain when I was told, eight weeks into my first pregnancy, that I was having twins.

Let’s just let that settle.

I had no clue. I wasn’t using a fertility drug and I had no idea twins ran in my family. Of course, as it turns out fraternal twins are on my mother’s side, but my twins are identical, so I was just lucky. Very, very lucky.

My life of owning a private fitness studio, running races (including 5 marathons) and standing 5’ 1” and weighing about 115 pounds had me thinking I would absolutely breeze though my pregnancy. I was so delusional I didn’t even think I would need maternity clothes.  After I got the news that there was not one, but two babies in my belly, everything changed.

Over eight months, I gained 42 pounds.

I had to stop running about three months in due to bad round ligament pain.

At the six month mark, I signed-up for a triathlon to be held in July 2009. My due date was April 2009, just three months prior.

Had I ever done a triathlon?  Nope.  Did I have a road bike?  Nope.  Had I ever swam in the lake for a long distance?  Nope.  Had I run one freakin step in six months?  Nope.  Well then…I should definitely do my very first triathlon ever three months after having twins!  I mean, really.

Are you starting to see the crazy?

Fast-forward to April 2009 and the boys were born on the 13th.  I had a C-section and a herniated belly button to show for the 37 weeks I carried them. They weighed about five pounds each, but didn’t spend one moment in the NICU and there wasn’t a moment to spare for mama to start training.

I will never forget going for my first postpartum run.  I think I cried tears of happiness and pain at the same time.  I was slow and I could feel my ass jiggle which was not something I was accustomed to!  What the hell was I thinking?  I could barely make it out to train at all because I was up 24 hours a day feeding, holding or changing a baby. When I wasn’t doing that I was pumping, cleaning, doing laundry and making baby food.  I slept in spurts and was delirious whenever I even had time for a workout.  But, I never came back from a run, bike or swim feeling like I shouldn’t have gone.  That is the magic of exercise…either that or I was high on endorphins and hormones.

Now, I mentioned I did not have a road bike, right?  Oh no, I took my mountain bike and put road bike tires on it.  Oh yeah, that will definitely get me up the 18% grade hill at mile 10 – no problem.  The one advantage I did have was that I basically lived on the route.  The lake was at the end of my road and then the loops for the bike and run went off from there.  I did not swim even one time in the lake.  I was dreading it so much that I decided to just be in complete denial until race day.  Good plan.  I did bike the route a few times and I was definitely trying to run as much as possible since I knew that was the last leg of the race and should be my strongest.

On race morning I was so nervous, I almost puked up my breakfast.  Two things kept my stomach contents in place:

1. I had a bunch of friends racing with me

2. Not much was expected from the postpartum, crazy twin mom. 

When that gun went off at the start I did my best to stay afloat.  This is no easy task, with a bunch of women all swimming in very close proximity to one another and in race mode.  Somehow, by the grace of God, I made it out of the water panting like a Golden Retriever (and swimming like one too), but I had a huge smile on my face because the worst was over.  I don’t remember too much about the bike except that I barely made it up the huge hill at the 10-mile mark and I was getting passed. A lot.

During the run I was just trying to hold it together and was constantly reminding myself (especially on the hills) that I just had two babies three months ago!

It seemed like forever to the finish once I hit the straightaway that led to it. It was like a mirage that seemed to get farther away with each step I took. I had to pass the street I lived on, about a quarter-mile from the finish, and I would be lying if I told you I didn’t think about just hooking a left and going home! But, I kept moving forward and finally crossed the finish line!

I ended up coming in third in my age group and I was thrilled!  I had done it.

The following year, I won the whole damn thing.

I’ve raced it several times over the years, bought a real road bike and upped my swim quite a bit. Each time I do this particular race, reminds me of how far I have come from that very first summer. Not just in racing but in being a mom. That first year, I didn’t even realize what a huge accomplishment it was to just be on that course! I was really just starting to figure out who I was and how to juggle being an athlete and a twin mom.

I like to think I’ve gained some perspective in the six years since but I know that if given the chance, I would do all of it again, the exact same way. I guess I’m still crazy after all these years.

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Allie is happiest when sweating or writing. She is a competitive athlete on Oiselle Team Voleé, has represented Team USA in duathlon competition and is an ACE certified personal trainer and fitness instructor.  When she’s not running, swimming or biking she’s writing her health and fitness blog VITA – Train for Life. The rest of her time is spent trying to make respectful, intelligent gentlemen out of her twin 6 year-old boys (and husband!) at her home in the Northeast.  The two things Allie values more than training and writing are sleep and food. There’s never enough time for all of it!

 Connect with Allie at VITA – Train for Life, on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.